TESTIMONIALS

From a parent of a child with autism:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for a beautiful concert for our children. From the minute we walked in the door my heart was full. Being met by calm and caring faces who understood our children and then handed them a stuffed animal was huge. We sat down and I opened the program and started to cry when I read the words in big letters at the top, "All behaviors welcome here... ENJOY!"

The music was serene, divine, and most of all perfect for my child. I have never seen my child feel comfortable dancing in a public place but he was tapping his feet and swaying to the music during "Shake it Off." I was overjoyed.

Please do keep up the good work and let the Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust know how crucial this type of event is for a family. It was a place where we could be ourselves and our two other 'typically developing' children didn't feel like they were doing something other than enjoying music with their family. Usually we have to have separate activities but this was something we all could enjoy together.

Our lives are hard, some a lot harder than others, and this concert made that all go away for an hour. It was bliss. I am forever grateful for this one hour of true joy that we had as a family. I thank you, each and every one of you, for your goodness, compassion and commitment to all children.

From a parent of a child with autism:

From a parent’s point of view, there are not a lot of places I can take my son, assuming he’s willing to leave the house. Because he is older and we can safely leave him home, we generally don’t try to take him anywhere very often. But knowing that events like this concert happen encourages us and other parents to bring our kids. Because all behaviors are welcome. And that’s awesome."

From a volunteer...

I think it is an awesome idea to have these concerts. I loved how accommodating you are and all the different ways you found to help make it friendly for the different levels and abilities on the spectrum.

I have heard many times from parents with kids with autism how hard it is to do many social activities with their kiddos and that they feel like when they are out in public, other people are judging them for their child's behavior. And through these concerts, you help give these children and families a way and time to bond as a family and enjoy a social event in a safe, enjoyable space.

Thanks so much for making this world a better place for these special individuals.